Abstract Large Igneous Provinces emplacement drives mass extinctions through rapid carbon release, but the relative contributions of magmatic degassing versus thermogenic decarbonation remain debated. Here, we incorporate temperature‐dependent thermal parameters into models of contact metamorphism around intruding sills. We show previous constant‐parameter models overestimated inorganic decarbonation by 36%–50% due to a high‐temperature thermal insulation effect, whereas estimates of organic carbon generation remain robust, with differences below 10%. Revised thermogenic carbon budgets, combined with carbon isotope mass balance constraints, reveal that thermogenic carbon accounts for less than 50% of the total carbon released across most plausible combinations of CIE magnitude, volcanic carbon release, and volcanic carbon isotope composition during the end‐Permian and end‐Triassic crises. This suggests that direct magmatic degassing was the dominant carbon source, underscoring the critical role of mantle‐derived volatiles in shaping Earth's climate sensitivity.
Abstract Cold, thick, and chemically depleted lithosphere with high seismic velocity and low attenuation characterizes continental cratons. However, discrepancies between xenolith‐based thermal constraints and those inferred from surface‐wave seismic models, together with the widespread observation of mid‐lithosphere discontinuities, challenge the traditional view of a simple cratonic lithospheric structure. Improving constraints on lithospheric layering is therefore essential for understanding the thermal and compositional structure of the cratonic upper mantle. In this study, we develop a three‐dimensional model of vertically polarized shear‐wave velocity (Vsv) in Fennoscandia through the joint inversion of Rayleigh wave phase velocities and S‐to‐P receiver functions, resolving both absolute velocities and strong vertical gradients. Compared to models derived from phase velocities alone, our results show that the highest velocities (>4.7 km/s) are located deeper, predominantly at ∼140–210 km depth. We compare the seismic model of the Fennoscandia craton interior with Vsv predictions based on depleted peridotite compositions along xenolith‐derived geotherms. After accounting for anelasticity and radial anisotropy, we find that the high velocities observed deeper than ∼150 km can be explained with a moderate diamond fraction (∼0.5 vol.%) combined with a colder geotherm than estimates based on standard xenolith thermometry, while remaining consistent with xenolith constraints. In the shallow lithosphere, slower‐than‐predicted shear‐wave velocities are best explained by the combined effects of radial anisotropy and the presence of carbonate and/or hydrous minerals introduced by metasomatism. The layered seismic structure revealed in this study provides new insights into the thermal and compositional architecture of cratonic lithosphere and its formation and modification.
Abstract Amphibole compositions record high‐pressure‐temperature ( P‐T ) hydration processes during magmatism and metamorphism in the deep Earth. However, amphibole thermobarometers calibrated for basic–ultrabasic systems are scarce. To address this issue, we compiled Ca‐amphibole data from published equilibrium experiments and used machine‐learning models to identify temperature‐ and pressure‐sensitive compositional parameters. Guided by these machine‐learning‐derived insights and subsequent statistical analyses, we developed empirical amphibole barometers based on Al VI and B‐site Na, coupled with whole‐rock SiO 2 , and internally consistent thermometers based on TiO 2 , Al IV , and A‐site cation sum (Sum‐A) for basic‐ultrabasic rocks. We applied them to amphibole‐bearing metamorphic eclogites and metasomatic mantle xenoliths. For example, application to amphiboles in retrograde eclogites from the Thongmön region of the Himalaya consistently captured well‐defined paths of ultrahigh‐temperature (UHT) metamorphism, corroborating previous estimates derived from thermodynamic phase equilibria modeling and other established thermobarometers (Wang et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116760 ). Furthermore, we successfully constrained the P‐T conditions of an igneous basic‐ultrabasic xenolith from the Pripyat rift of the East European Craton and peridotite xenoliths from Avacha volcano, Kamchatka. In both cases, the resulting P‐T conditions are consistent with the inferred igneous and metasomatic processes in these geological settings. Moreover, the P‐T estimates obtained from our amphibole thermobarometers are in strong agreement with those derived from previously established methods for UHT metamorphism and metasomatism, confirming their reliability. Consequently, our calibrated amphibole thermobarometers provide a robust framework for interpreting metamorphic and metasomatic P‐T conditions in hydrated basic–ultrabasic systems, which may also be relevant to planetary bodies beyond Earth.
Abstract The reconstructed stable oxygen isotopic composition of meteoric water (δ 18 O w ) is widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions. Understanding past environmental factors that drove changes in δ 18 O w is essential for interpreting past climate conditions. Here, we investigate the spatial and temporal variations of δ 18 O w in the Miocene Alpine foreland basin from multiple proxy materials with isotope‐enabled climate model simulations. Based on δ 18 O values and clumped isotope‐based temperatures of pedogenic carbonate nodules, we compare Middle Miocene δ 18 O w records from the Northern Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) in Switzerland and its counterpart in the Mediterranean Alpine foreland (Digne‐Valensole Basin, SE France). Additionally, we analyze isotope‐tracking atmospheric general circulation model outputs of δ 18 O in precipitation for the Middle Miocene and present‐day to assess changes in distributions. Our results highlight a latitudinal δ 18 O w gradient in the Middle Miocene that is similar to the present‐day. The occurrence of distinct N‐S differences in δ 18 O w values during the Miocene are likely the result of a similar‐to‐present climate divide (North‐Atlantic vs. Mediterranean climates). Concurrently, we suggest that shifts in atmospheric circulation over the Alpine region during certain time intervals of the Middle Miocene led to rapid high‐amplitude variations in δ 18 O w . We note significant differences in δ 18 O w values between proxy‐based reconstructions and climate model simulations that we attribute to (a) proxy biases toward higher δ 18 O w values and (b) inappropriate model resolution and topography for the Miocene Alpine region. Our study advances the use of multiproxy data‐model comparison for paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry reconstructions and points out the importance of integrating proxy and modeling approaches.
Abstract Oceanic lithosphere formed at the global mid‐ocean ridge system makes up >60% of Earth's solid surface. Its uppermost ∼6 km are accreted either magmatically, where mafic melt is available, or tectonically, where this melt is absent. The magmatically accreted lithosphere is known to evolve with age, as demonstrated by its velocity increase. However, whether and how the tectonically accreted lithosphere evolves remains poorly constrained, despite representing about 1/6 of the global seafloor accretion. Here, we provide the first constraints on the evolution of the tectonically accreted topmost lithosphere, composed of exhumed ultramafic rocks, at the ultraslow‐spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. The increase in seismic velocities from 0 to 6 Ma is ∼62% greater than in the topmost 6 km of magmatically accreted lithosphere, with most of this increase occurring at greater depths (1.5–4.5 km). Progressive serpentinization with aging of the topmost ∼2 km reduces velocities, partially counteracting the increase caused by crack closure and pore infilling. Thus, the overall alteration of the tectonically accreted lithosphere is likely greater than indicated by the velocity increase alone, implying that it evolves more rapidly than its magmatic counterpart. Our water content estimates further suggest that the upper 6 km of tectonically accreted topmost lithosphere can store up to three times more water than equivalent magmatically accreted lithosphere. This enhanced water storage may promote increased arc magmatism and intraslab seismicity at future subduction zones, when the Arctic, Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins begin to close, and tectonically formed lithosphere is recycled back into the Earth.
Abstract The isotopic composition of vanadium (V) in hotspot lavas provides new insight into the source of deep mantle heterogeneities. We measured V isotopic compositions in Paleogene Baffin Island lavas, which erupted above the Iceland plume head, to constrain the mantle plume source. These lavas have V isotopic compositions that are lighter (−0.96 ± 0.02‰, 2 s.e., n = 25) than most other mantle‐derived lavas (δ 51 V = −0.89 ± 0.02, 2 s.e., n = 69). This difference is statistically significant with a 99.8% confidence interval. The measured 51 V/ 50 V ratio in Baffin Island is difficult to reconcile with the assimilation of continental crust, fractional crystallization, crystal accumulation, isotopic fractionation during mantle melting, or the recycling of sediments. Possibly, the Baffin Island lavas sample an ancient (>3 Ga) melt‐depleted mantle reservoir. However, this cannot explain the similarly low 51 V/ 50 V measured in younger lavas related to the Iceland plume. Instead, the V isotopic composition of Baffin Island lavas may be consistent with the incorporation of core‐affected material into the Iceland plume. The advection of bulk core into the lowermost mantle is improbable, so we hypothesize that, if the V isotopic difference is due to core‐mantle interactions, V partitioned into core‐exsolved oxides that imparted a core‐like V isotopic composition on the Baffin Island mantle source.
Abstract The Neogene mineralized region of the Colline Metallifere in southern Tuscany (Italy) provides a natural laboratory to investigate feedback between fluid–rock interaction, structurally controlled fluid flow, and hydrothermal ore mineralization. This study focuses on the Fe–Cu–Pb–Zn deposit of Fenice Capanne, located south of the active Larderello–Travale geothermal system, where marly–limestone caprocks of the Liguride Complex preserve evidence of permeability creation and destruction above a regional geothermal reservoir. A multidisciplinary approach was applied to reconstruct the evolution of the hydrothermal system. Two main alteration stages were identified. An early prograde, high‐temperature skarn metasomatism was associated with the growth of clinopyroxene–garnet assemblages and characterized by substantial gains in Si, Fe, Mn, and Ca, resulting in a large volume increase (up to ∼400%). Reaction‐induced fracturing generated secondary permeability, which superimposed on primary permeability related to bedding and lithological anisotropies, enhancing hydraulic connectivity. A subsequent retrograde stage, below ∼300°C, was driven by mixing between meteoric and saline magmatic‐derived fluids, or those derived from evaporite interaction, and resulted in renewed fracturing, brecciation, and extensive quartz–sulphide veining. These processes recorded cyclic variations in fluid composition, redox conditions, salinity, and boiling associated with transient pressure drops during hydraulic fracturing. Overall, the Ligurian marly–limestone sequence evolved from a low‐permeability sedimentary seal into a reactive mineralized system capable of sustaining transient hydrothermal circulation. Structural connectivity controlled by faulting and reaction‐induced fracturing governed both permeability evolution and mineralization. These results demonstrate that sedimentary caprocks can behave as dynamic components of the hydrothermal systems, with important implications for geothermal fluid flow, metal transport, and reservoir evolution.
Abstract Despite its importance in modeling the interior dynamics of a planet, our understanding of interior rheology remains incomplete because of several reasons, including insufficient experimental data and inadequate analysis of the available data. To address the latter, Korenaga and Karato (2008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007jb005100 ) developed a new and statistically robust approach to analyze experimental data on the plastic deformation of mineral assemblages, and its functionality has since been expanded. It is based on Bayesian statistics and is implemented by a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method with Gibbs sampling. It is designed to explain the experimentally observed strain rates with a more realistic but highly nonlinear rheological model—the composite rheological model—which accounts for the simultaneous operation of multiple creep mechanisms. Our software, named labmc , can efficiently handle the inversion of experimental data for such complex rheologies. Moreover, it incorporates a thorough treatment of data uncertainties, which yields more robust estimates on the flow‐law parameters for the assumed rheological model. In this paper, we describe the labmc software and provide representative examples to explain how the software is used and the MCMC inversion results analyzed to obtain meaningful constraints on rock rheologies.
Abstract The origin of the compositional dichotomy between high‐Ti and low‐Ti basalts in continental flood basalt provinces remains debated. Most existing studies attribute this dichotomy directly to variations in primitive magma composition to circumvent the complexities of significant evolutionary processes, such as multiphase fractional crystallization. Here, we evaluate komatiite as a viable parental magma for the late Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province to constrain its magmatic evolution. Olivine phenocrysts and spinel inclusions in the investigated picrites exhibit close affinities, consistent with derivation from a common komatiitic parental magma. Thermobarometric constraints define an olivine‐spinel‐clinopyroxene crystallization sequence and reveal two pressure regimes: 0–4.4 and 5.7–8.5 kbar. Thermodynamic modeling successfully reproduces the observed mineral assemblages and liquid lines of descent, accounting for two distinct adiabatic and multi‐stage evolutionary paths. We propose that extensive crustal differentiation along the liquid line of descent produced high‐Ti basalts, whereas limited evolution, melt‐cumulate re‐equilibrium, or incomplete crystal‐melt segregation generated low‐Ti basalts. These results demonstrate that contrasting crustal evolutionary pathways acting on a common komatiitic magma govern compositional diversities observed in global continental flood basalt provinces.
Abstract The Earth's mantle is inherently heterogeneous, reflecting ongoing mantle depletion and crustal recycling driven by plate tectonics. Radiogenic isotopes in oceanic basalts are commonly used to characterize mantle reservoirs, but the full chemical diversity of mantle‐derived melts may be obscured by magma mixing during melt transport and storage. Pyroxenite veins formed by melt segregation or melt–peridotite interaction in the lithospheric mantle provide an alternative archive that may better preserve the compositional diversity of mantle‐derived melts. We present Nd–Hf isotopic data for bulk rock, clinopyroxene, and orthopyroxene from pyroxenite veins in three mantle massifs exposed along the Yarlung‐Tsangpo Suture Zone in southern Tibet. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene from the same samples display distinct initial isotopic compositions, indicating crystallization from compositionally different melt pulses. Orthopyroxene commonly records more enriched and less radiogenic signatures than clinopyroxene, highlighting its potential to preserve isotopic information on enriched melt components. Additionally, the pyroxenite veins define a wide range of initial Nd–Hf isotopic compositions (initial ε Nd = −10.3 to +8.6 and initial ε Hf = −8.4 to 18.3), extending beyond the variability reported for basaltic lavas and cumulates from the same ophiolitic system. These variations are consistent with mixing between melts derived from depleted mantle and melts originating from enriched mantle domains. Our results suggest that mantle pyroxenite veins can preferentially preserve the isotopic heterogeneity of the enriched mantle source. Overall, this study highlights the value of mineral‐scale isotopic analyses in pyroxenites for documenting mantle heterogeneity and provides new constraints on melt migration and aggregation processes in the upper mantle.
Abstract This study investigates the detrital record of the early orogenic evolution of the Sardinia‐Calabria system, preserved in Upper Cretaceous arenites exposed in eastern Sardinia. Sardinia and Corsica form a continental block that includes a segment of the Alpine orogen and of its former foreland basin. We investigate Upper Cretaceous arkosic turbidites from the Lanaittu Valley in eastern Sardinia. Biostratigraphy constrains the depositional age of the arenites to the middle‐late Campanian. Petrographic analyses confirmed the presence of rare glaucophane‐crossite combined with up to 13% kyanite and trace amounts of lawsonite. Using U‐Pb and (U‐Th)/He methods, double‐dated detrital zircons reveal a significant population (22%) that records mid‐to‐Late Cretaceous exhumation‐related cooling. Older zircon U‐Pb date populations, with a dominant Middle Permian peak and Proterozoic components, indicate a cratonic provenance consistent with the Sardinia/Calabria basement. A multi‐source area within an active orogenic belt is envisaged, supplying detritus to a basin located on the thinned Sardinian crust. These data indicate an episode of eo‐Alpine high‐pressure metamorphism and exhumation, likely related to the subduction of the Western Ligurian Ocean beneath a portion of the Alkapeca microplate, which is identified with the northern Calabria‐Peloritani subterrane. This metamorphic event is comparable to eo‐Alpine events recorded elsewhere in the Mediterranean region, such as in the Sesia zone of the Western Alps. Exhumation is inferred to have occurred during ongoing convergence, marking an early stage of Alpine subduction.
Abstract Instantaneous event deposits such as turbidites, debrites, and slumps are common and frequently occur in marginal seas. These instantaneous deposits represent seconds to days in duration, and can therefore significantly impact age‐depth models and interpretation of paleoclimate history based on thick sedimentary sequences recovered in deep drill cores. However, these event deposits have rarely been considered when investigating International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)/ODP deep cores from marginal seas. To resolve the problem, we take the South China Sea, one of the largest active marginal seas worldwide, as a typical research example. We identified 129 centimeter‐to‐meter‐scale event layers from Hole U1433A (189–0 m, 800–0 kyr) in the southwest part of the deep South China Sea. These instantaneous event deposits account for ∼16% of the total sediment thickness in Hole U1433A, and significantly affect the reconstruction of the age‐depth model and paleoclimate history. We refine the preliminary age‐depth model, that is based on paleomagnetic and microfossil ages recovered from the hole, by removing instantaneous event deposits. We further test the effectiveness of our applied sedimentological approach by comparing paleoclimate profiles that include or omit those event layers. This test indicates that the event‐free approach is effective and essential for a better reconstruction of the age‐depth model and paleoclimate history based on the IODP deep core. Our revised sedimentological methodology may also prove suitable for other marginal seas with frequent instantaneous event deposits elsewhere in the world.
Abstract Oxygen fugacity buffers are equilibrium phase assemblages that constrain the chemical potential of oxygen. They may be coexisting minerals or fluids, or their metastable extrapolations. Oxygen fugacity values vary as a function of pressure and temperature, such that raw numbers often have little interpretive value. Instead, oxygen fugacity is generally reported relative to oxygen fugacity buffers that provide convenient and tangible reference curves. The exact calculation of these curves is typically highly complex, involving the solution of thermodynamic relationships using advanced algebra, calculus, and numerical methods. As a result, buffers are often calculated using simple parameterizations which are easily implemented. This simplification of oxygen fugacity buffer curves comes at the cost of accuracy and precision in pressure and temperature space. Occasionally, several parameterizations for a single buffer exist, causing discrepancies in published results. Here, we introduce an online calculator built using the shiny package for the R programming language. The calculator solves the often complex thermodynamics and provides a simple interface for users to manipulate input parameters. All calculations are fully documented and justified. This paper describes some of the common calculation methods for oxygen fugacity buffers, including 1 bar parameterizations, correct usage of tabulated standard pressure data, high‐pressure equations of state and phase transitions, gas mixing at low and high pressures, and more. A description of the many challenges and problems in the current literature is provided, and recommendations for future calibrations are suggested.
Abstract The mechanism of opening, as well as the crustal characteristics of the northern Red Sea are subject of ongoing controversial scientific debate. With the objective of elucidating the nature of rifting in this area, a grid of 2D multi‐channel reflection seismic data was acquired off the Al Wajh carbonate platform (AWCP), and supplemented by high‐resolution bathymetric data. Along the previously proposed rift axis, a major meandering graben system is identified trending NNW‐SSE that exhibits characteristics indicative of a strike‐slip zone. The observed slip is left‐lateral with a predominant extensional component. At the Mabahiss Deep, the fault zone bends to the south and steps over. Consequently, the basin functions as a pull‐apart basin and is supposed to be a part of the Zabargad Fracture Zone. Bathymetric data highlight the complex seafloor topography in the study area today, which is caused by various subsurface salt structures. Their surface expression reflects the prevailing tectonic regime. Three distinct domains have been identified. The first encompasses the AWCP and its surrounding slopes. The second domain comprises the distal part of the rift, where salt structures trend NNW–SSE in line with the inferred rift axis. In the third, proximal domain, salt structures trend obliquely to the rift axis in places. This is attributed to intrinsic extension and normal faulting transverse to the strike‐slip zone. Our results suggest that the NRS is in a transitional phase from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. The observed magmatic intrusions and submarine volcanoes are precursors to continental breakup.
Abstract Natural hydrogen (H2) is a promising clean energy resource and a significant component of geothermal gases, yet its origins and release mechanisms remain poorly constrained. Here, we present geochemical and isotopic data (CO2, N2, Ar, H2, He, CH4, 3He/4He, δ13C‐CO2, and δ13C‐CH4) for hydrothermal gases from the Changning–Menglian suture (CMS), Tengchong volcanic field (TCV), and Red River fault zone (RRF) in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. H2 concentrations show pronounced regional contrasts, with the CMS (1.0–190,000 ppm) far exceeding those in the TCV (0.6–5902 ppm) and RRF (1.0–1746 ppm). In the CMS, active H2 seepage reflects serpentinization of remnant oceanic lithosphere; in the TCV, magmatic degassing dominates, while in the RRF, fault‐related processes and radiolysis prevail. Tectonic activity—ranging from seismic events to long‐term lithospheric deformation—drives H2 release, with faults serving as conduits for upward migration. During ascent, secondary processes (calcite precipitation and CO2 dissolution) further modify the volatile composition, enhancing relative H2 enrichment and forming N2‐rich and H2‐bearing fluids. These findings reveal the tectonic control on H2 generation and migration, providing insights for natural H2 exploration in the Tibetan Plateau and other tectonically active regions.
Abstract This study investigates the nature of plume‐ridge interactions near a tectonic microplate using mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) gravity calculations. The focus of this investigation is a comparison of the Easter and Juan Fernandez microplates, which are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the Pacific, Nazca, and Antarctic plate boundaries. The microplates have several similar characteristics, including general size, time of formation, and clockwise rotation within the larger bounding mid‐ocean ridge systems. Unlike the Juan Fernandez microplate, however, the Easter microplate is located near a mantle plume (Easter/Salas y Gomez). Previously published geochemical data suggest that material from this plume significantly contributes to mantle melting processes along the east rift of the Easter microplate. For both microplates, average MBA is different between the west and east ridges, which is consistent with the east ridges rifting into cooler, older, denser lithosphere. Interestingly, MBA anomalies along the plume‐affected portion of the Easter microplate are minimal despite other indications of robust plume strength such as significant off‐axis seafloor depth anomalies. It is possible that complex plate boundary geometry at the mid‐ocean ridge, and specifically microplate lithospheric structure, modifies the geophysical expression of plume‐ridge interaction in this setting. Overall, these MBA results provide insights into the importance of taking plate boundary geometry into consideration when using observational data to constrain plume properties.
Abstract As a major tectonic boundary along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Longmen Shan tectonic belt (LMSTB) underwent pronounced crustal shortening and thickening during the Cretaceous. However, the spatiotemporal evolution of Cretaceous shortening and the boundary's response to far‐field tectonic forcing remain incompletely resolved. We conducted systematic anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements across a 724.1‐m‐thick continuous stratigraphic interval at the Jinmenguan section in the Western Sichuan Basin, which is constrained by a previously published, high‐resolution magnetostratigraphic age model. Using existing paleomagnetic data, we reconstructed time‐dependent rotations of the Jinmenguan section from 128 to 64 Ma. By integrating AMS fabrics dominated by layer‐parallel shortening (LPS) with time‐equivalent rotations, we restore a time‐resolved record of maximum horizontal shortening directions for the LMSTB in a consistent time‐geometry reference frame. The results indicate that shortening direction for the LMSTB from 128 to 64 Ma was dominated at the million‐year scale by a persistent NW–SE‐trending direction, while an additional shear component may have been superimposed during 102–90 Ma under oblique shortening conditions. These results provide a testable, high‐resolution time series of Cretaceous shortening directions, clarify how the eastern plateau margin responded to far‐field tectonic forcing, and place new constraints on models for Cretaceous shortening and crustal thickening in the LMSTB.
Abstract PyGMT is a free and open‐source Python library that provides a high‐level interface to the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT), a widely used command‐line toolset for geospatial data processing, analysis, and visualization in the Earth, ocean, and planetary sciences. By bridging GMT with the Python ecosystem, PyGMT enables users to access GMT's powerful visualization and analysis capabilities directly within Python‐based workflows, making them more accessible to a broader audience. PyGMT supports diverse data sources, including local and remote files, as well as familiar data structures such as numpy.ndarray, pandas.DataFrame, and xarray.DataArray objects, allowing users to process data efficiently and create a wide variety of publication‐quality figures. Compared to GMT, PyGMT provides a Pythonic interface with intuitive parameters and arguments, lowering the barrier to entry for both new and experienced users, and extends GMT's functionality by integrating seamlessly with the broader scientific Python ecosystem. The project is actively maintained as a community‐driven effort under the BSD 3‐Clause License, with source code and issue tracking hosted on GitHub and user support provided through a Discourse forum. It emphasizes reliability, usability, and sustainability while fostering an open and welcoming community that encourages contributions of all kinds.
Abstract The Valanginian positive carbon isotope excursion (Weissert Event, ca. 135 million years ago) documents a major global carbon cycle and climate perturbation. Radioisotopic dating suggests that this event was broadly contemporaneous with an interval of profoundly enhanced volcanic activity during the emplacement of the Paraná–Etendeka Large Igneous Province (PE–LIP). Recent studies have utilized sedimentary mercury (Hg)—a proxy for volcanic activity—to support a proposed causal link between volcanism and environmental change, focusing primarily on the onset of the Weissert Event. Here, we generate new Hg data from Berriasian–Hauterivian strata at four different localities, allowing us to contextualize the previous studies within a longer time perspective, and use the latest statistical and analytical methodologies to assess whether a Hg cycle perturbation can be directly linked to the PE–LIP and the Weissert Event. We find no consistent patterns in organic‐matter‐associated residual Hg (HgR‐OMS) between different sites, and only a few statistically rigorous residual Hg anomalies, particularly during the PE–LIP main volcanic phase. The lack of a distinct Hg cycle perturbation might relate to a combination of the overall low Hg budget, the prolonged eruption duration of the PE–LIP, and intrusion of PE–LIP into Hg‐lean country rocks. Consequently, a link between the PE–LIP eruption and the Weissert Event is not conclusively supported by Hg evidence, which contrasts with other parts of the geological record where Hg enhancements corroborate links between LIPs and carbon cycle perturbations.
